The district had 177,065 registered voters as of July 1, 2021, of whom 63,392 (35.8%) were registered as
unaffiliated, 59,938 (33.9%) were registered as
Democrats, 51,684 (29.2%) were registered as
Republicans, and 2,051 (1.2%) were registered to other parties.[5]
The legislative district overlaps with
2nd and
3rd congressional districts.
During the
221st Legislature, this is one of two legislative districts in the state (along with the 30th) where both parties hold at least one seat.
1965–1973
During the period of time after the 1964
Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims and before the establishment of a 40-district legislature in 1973, the 8th district encompassed the entirety of
Somerset County.[7][8][9] During the three Senate elections held during this period (1965, 1967, and 1971), Republicans won all three races. Incumbent Senator
William E. Ozzard won reelection in 1965 for a two-year term (though he resigned on July 10, 1967[10]), while for the next two elections,
Raymond Bateman was victorious for both elections.[7][11][12]
When the Legislature was switched to 40 equal-population districts statewide, the 8th district created for the 1973 elections was an
uncompact district in Burlington,
Ocean,
Monmouth, and
Mercer counties. With the
Keith line as a center spine, the district had branches to Medford Township,
Manchester Township,
Florence Township,
Roosevelt,
East Windsor Township, and
Lawrence Township.[16] In the 1980s, the 8th became inclusive of most of Burlington County stretching from
Washington Township north to
Bordentown.[17] Following the
1990 census, the district expanded out of Burlington County to Camden County (
Winslow Township, Waterford Township, and
Chesilhurst) and Atlantic County (Hammonton and
Folsom) with the Burlington County portion including suburban townships of Medford, Evesham,
Moorestown,
Mount Laurel, and Southampton.[18] The 2001 redistricting returned the district to being Burlington only again keeping it through the center of the county.[19] The 2011 reapportionment brought Hammonton into the district while the 2021 reapportionment brought in more Atlantic County municipalities and removed all Camden County municipalities.[20] In 2023, Democrats won one assembly seat thereby marking the first time they won a seat through an election since 1973.
^
ab"Rizzolo New Legislator"(PDF). The Franklin News-Record. February 1, 1973. Archived from
the original(PDF) on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
The district had 177,065 registered voters as of July 1, 2021, of whom 63,392 (35.8%) were registered as
unaffiliated, 59,938 (33.9%) were registered as
Democrats, 51,684 (29.2%) were registered as
Republicans, and 2,051 (1.2%) were registered to other parties.[5]
The legislative district overlaps with
2nd and
3rd congressional districts.
During the
221st Legislature, this is one of two legislative districts in the state (along with the 30th) where both parties hold at least one seat.
1965–1973
During the period of time after the 1964
Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims and before the establishment of a 40-district legislature in 1973, the 8th district encompassed the entirety of
Somerset County.[7][8][9] During the three Senate elections held during this period (1965, 1967, and 1971), Republicans won all three races. Incumbent Senator
William E. Ozzard won reelection in 1965 for a two-year term (though he resigned on July 10, 1967[10]), while for the next two elections,
Raymond Bateman was victorious for both elections.[7][11][12]
When the Legislature was switched to 40 equal-population districts statewide, the 8th district created for the 1973 elections was an
uncompact district in Burlington,
Ocean,
Monmouth, and
Mercer counties. With the
Keith line as a center spine, the district had branches to Medford Township,
Manchester Township,
Florence Township,
Roosevelt,
East Windsor Township, and
Lawrence Township.[16] In the 1980s, the 8th became inclusive of most of Burlington County stretching from
Washington Township north to
Bordentown.[17] Following the
1990 census, the district expanded out of Burlington County to Camden County (
Winslow Township, Waterford Township, and
Chesilhurst) and Atlantic County (Hammonton and
Folsom) with the Burlington County portion including suburban townships of Medford, Evesham,
Moorestown,
Mount Laurel, and Southampton.[18] The 2001 redistricting returned the district to being Burlington only again keeping it through the center of the county.[19] The 2011 reapportionment brought Hammonton into the district while the 2021 reapportionment brought in more Atlantic County municipalities and removed all Camden County municipalities.[20] In 2023, Democrats won one assembly seat thereby marking the first time they won a seat through an election since 1973.
^
ab"Rizzolo New Legislator"(PDF). The Franklin News-Record. February 1, 1973. Archived from
the original(PDF) on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.